The Latest Breaking News from UKHSA

The pupil, understood to be a 12-year-old girl, had attended Hove Park School and her sad death takes the UK's death toll to 16 after shock figures from the UKHSA yesterday revealed fifteen children under the age of 15 had died from the illness across Britain this winter

Cases have been reported across the region this week

Official figures show that there has been a post-Covid surge in cases of scarlet fever this year

Cases of related infections are above usual and dozens have died including children

Scarlet fever is more common in children but adults can also contract the bacterial infection

Sunnie needed an operation and spent a month in intensive care

The UKHSA reports that there have been 440 cases of Scarlet Fever and 65 cases of invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) in the South West

In rare cases a Strep A infection can be fatal

Warning comes as another child dies after contracting Strep A infection

The deaths come well ahead of the usual Strep A season which normally runs from February to April

Infections have been found around the country, as authorities warn parents to be vigilant